Cortisol administration after exposure has no beneficial effects for patients suffering from phobias or anxiety disorders. Arachnophobics who received cortisol following exposure were more likely to relapse when they encountered spiders in a different context.
From designing drugs to help suppress traumatic memories, to harnessing the power of heartbeats, researchers are searching for new therapies to help people overcome their fears and phobias.
Researchers have identified two brain pathways that appear to be critical in determining how mice react to visual threats. The findings could have implications for treating PTSD and phobias in humans.
Researchers reduce fear by exposing people to the memory over and over while they slept. The finding could provide a new treatment option for those who suffer from phobias.
In order to recover from phobias, researchers suggest people must alter memory driven negative attitudes about their feared object.